Sociological approaches to crime Flashcards
Who is the key functionalist
Emile Durkheim
What are Durkheims 3 positive functions of crime
- boundary maintenance
- social change
- social cohesion
Durkheims 3 positive functions of crime
Boundary maintenance
reaffirming what is right and wrong by making an example of those who break laws
Durkheims 3 positive functions of crime
Social change
for society to progress norms and values must be challenged via rebellion
Durkheims 3 positive functions of crime
Social cohesion
after any horrific crime society comes together and reinforces a sense of belonging
Who proposed the strain theory within subcultural theories
Merton
Strain theory
not everyone has an equal chance of acheiving ‘the dream’ due to societal inequality this creates frustration and people respond
5 responses in strain theory
- conformity
- innovation - finding illegal ways to acheive the dream
- ritualism
- rebellion - challanging societal norms
- retreatism
Realist theories
crime is a real issue not a social construction
RIght realism 3 causes of crime
RIB
R ational choice
I nadequate socialisation
B iological differences
Left realism causes of crime
MRS
M arginalisation
R elative deprivation
S ubcultures
Subcultural: Cohen
deviance from lower classes failure to acheive in mainstream society, subcultures offer a solution in form of alternative status hierarchy
lInteractionism: labelling
agents of social control label certain people and acts which leads to self fulfilling prophecys
Self fulfilling prophecy
internalising a label and making it your master status/main characteristic
Lemert
primary deviance (acts not labelled as deviant) and secondary deviance (once labelled as deviance further deviance is likely)
